Issue 146
October 2016
Anderson Silva ruins Rich Franklin with a Muay Thai masterclass – two years in a row.
October should be a happy month for Rich Franklin. The former UFC champ celebrates his birthday on the fourth, and a decade ago he expected to make the third defense of his 185lb title. But Anderson Silva’s Muay Thai assault surprised ‘Ace’ and left him knocked out, beltless and nursing a badly broken nose.
One year later, Franklin welcomed ‘The Spider’ to his hometown of Cincinnati as challenger. October 2007 was supposed to be different. He was prepared and backed by a partisan crowd. But the result was the same. KO, no belt, another broken nose. At least he had Halloween to look forward to.
Date: October 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Photo: Josh Hedges / Zuffa
